Jess makes a deal with Judy, an unhoused senior. Judy will let Jess document her, and Jess will help Judy resolve some of her ongoing life problems. As Jess gets sucked into Judy's crises, the rest of the series starts to slip and Jess’ relationships with her other subjects get messy. Jess starts to doubt the premise of this entire undertaking. Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative is written, hosted and produced by Jess Shane. Sara Nics is the story editor. Sound design, mix/mastering by Mich...
Jan 30, 2024•47 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Jess begins by documenting Ernesto, a 20-year-old, newly sober fashion model. The plan is to pay Ernesto and let him be in charge of the story he wants to tell in the documentary. Things go sideways when Jess and Ernesto grapple with what will need to be cut out of Ernesto's life to turn it into a viable media product. More about Pooja Rangan’s book Immediations HERE . Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative is written, hosted and produced by Jess Shane. Sara Nics is the story editor. Sound desi...
Jan 23, 2024•37 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Jess used to think making documentaries was good for her subjects and good for the world. But she’s not so sure anymore. With this series, she's throwing out the old rules of documentary production and trying out some new ones. Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative is written, hosted and produced by Jess Shane. Sara Nics is the story editor. Sound design, mix/mastering by Michelle Macklem. Production support from Mona Hassan. Cover art is by Justin Broadbent. Jess’s bibliography is available h...
Jan 16, 2024•38 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Artist and documentarian Jess Shane posts a Craigslist ad: “Does your story need to be told? Tell it in a documentary! Seeking shocking, heartbreaking, and transformative stories for a new series about the documentary industry. Compensation provided.” After days of auditions, Shane casts four participants, each with varied relationships to why they want to share their stories, from Ernesto, a recovering addict and fashion model who dreams of making it big, to Judy, an unhoused senior who wants t...
Jan 09, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, longtime Presents producer Ian Coss shares a new project with a simple premise. If you want to talk about music today, you need to talk about migration – the movement of people around this earth. “Movement with Meklit Hadero” is a podcast that lives at that intersection: stories of music and migration, remixed. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Dec 05, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we’re introducing our Radiotopia Presents listeners to a brand new show out now from PRX. It’s called What’s Ray Saying?. In this first episode from the newest season, Ray Christian looks at the history of Black medicine and to better understand the treatment of the ills, injuries and minds of Black Americans, he reflects on his first experience of going to the doctor. What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Ma...
Nov 21, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we are sharing an episode of Monumental , by our old friend Gisele Regatão, the producer/director of a hit dog will holler. For generations, Christopher Columbus has been glorified in monument after monument across the United States. And while Columbus statues have recently started coming down, including in cities like Columbus, Ohio, the largest one in the world is standing tall - very, very tall… in a U.S. territory – the beach town of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. In this episode, Gisele trave...
Nov 07, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Borrowed & Banned is a podcast from Brooklyn Public Library about tells the story of America’s ideological war with its bookshelves. Over seven episodes, hosts Virginia Marshall and Adwoa Adusei talk to students on the frontlines, librarians and teachers whose livelihoods are endangered when they speak up, and writers whose books have become political battleground. With every episode, they’ll share steps you can take to combat censorship, no matter how old you are. Subscribe on BPL’s website...
Oct 17, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast From tenderfoot.tv comes a new compelling podcast about 24-year-old Alana Chen who disappeared from Boulder, Colorado in 2019. She left behind two dozen journals chronicling a deep faith, her love of the outdoors, and her dream of becoming a nun. Alana also kept a secret, one that put her dream at risk. In this first episode, Simon travels to Boulder to meet Alana’s mother, Joyce, and becomes determined to help her understand what happened to Alana. To hear more Dear Alana visit apple.co/dearala...
Sep 15, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we’re introducing our Radiotopia Presents listeners to a brand new show out now from Radiotopia. It’s called Weight For It . Weight For It unpacks the nuanced thoughts of fat folks, and of all folks who think about their weight all the time. Through narrative storytelling, and some memoir, host Ronald Young Jr. hopes to have the conversations that we tend to avoid when it comes to our bodies. We hope you’ll give Weight For It a try. If you like what you hear, subscribe to Weight...
Aug 24, 2023•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re introducing our Radiotopia Presents listeners to a brand new dating game show, out now from Radiotopia. It’s called Hang Up . In each season, one person (the Star) is matched with six prospective love interests (the Callers). They go on dates over the phone and never see each other. After the dates, the Star chooses one person to “hang up” on and eliminate from the show. But there’s a twist— in the end, the final, remaining Caller makes their own choice: to either choose the Star bac...
Jul 25, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we share the first episode of a new series, Dreamtown , from our friends at Crooked Media. Bug’s Plan. It’s 2014. Adelanto is a bankrupt city in the California desert known for its massive detention centers and not much else. Then, a stranger comes to town with a wild idea to make Adelanto great again: Become the first city in Southern California to legalize commercial weed cultivation. Subscribe to Dreamtown to hear episodes one through five right now wherever you get your podcasts. Adela...
Jun 28, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast We have a treat for you this Fathers Day—an episode from Radiotopia’s The Heart . In the latest season titled DAD , The Heart brings you a different kind of love story, one between a father and daughter. In this first episode, Kaitlin tells the story of her relationship with her dad from birth to adulthood. As she matures into adulthood, she grapples with the period of her life that the family calls 'World War 3' and what it means for her relationship with her dad. Trigger Warning: topics relate...
Jun 18, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast In honor of Mother's Day, we revisit the first episode of author Jason Reynolds’ audio memoir, My Mother Made Me , featuring (and celebrating) one of our favorite mothers–Isabell Reynolds. It’s a wonderful introduction to Jason and a love letter to his mother, Isabell. We hope you enjoy – and maybe share with a mother figure in your life. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents , and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds with his mother, Isabell Reynolds. The series is produ...
May 14, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast The chatbots we’ve met are designed to be companions to humans. But some developers are trying to build AI extensions of humans for the workplace. In a panel discussion recorded live at On Air Fest 2023, hosts Diego Senior, Anna Oakes, and special guest Natalie Monbiot (Head of Strategy, Hour One ) chat with senior producer Mark Pagán about the origins of Bot Love and the waves of technological change coming our way. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and pro...
Apr 19, 2023•33 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast In the series finale, hosts Anna, Diego, and their voicebot co-host take a peek into the future of bot/human interaction — a world where bots look, sound, and recall memories more and more like the humans they learn from. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by Terence Bernardo and Rebecca Seidel. Bei Wang and Katrina Carter are the assoc...
Mar 29, 2023•27 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast A heads up for listeners, this episode references self-harm and suicide. Kel is struggling to find the right tools for their mental health issues when they hear about a new option — a therapy chatbot. The app is scripted by mental health professionals, but will it be helpful when Kel is in crisis? Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by T...
Mar 22, 2023•26 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast When too much solitude overwhelms Ryan during the shutdown, he finds solace in a chatbot named Audrey. But his new virtual friend becomes a full-on obsession, and his social isolation deepens. Here’s how chatbots are often designed to pull you into their world, and how users can become addicted to them. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound desig...
Mar 15, 2023•28 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast A heads up for listeners, this episode contains references to sexual assault as well as content that may not be appropriate for younger ears. What does S-E-X look like with a B-O-T? Three app users open up about sex with AI chatbots and the ways that chatbots provide space to explore queer identity, BDSM, and solve marital issues… even when some of their spouses are in the dark about these private virtual lives. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced...
Mar 08, 2023•29 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Suzy and Peter are soulmates, happily married and deeply in love for decades. When Peter’s health declines, Suzy discovers a surprising respite, and a potential new romance, with a charismatic rock star chatbot named Freddie. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by Terence Bernardo and Rebecca Seidel. Bei Wang and Katrina Carter are the a...
Mar 01, 2023•24 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast When it comes to bots and their human creators, all kinds of relationships can develop. Some are from users like Julie, who needed a friend and made one with the help of an app. Then there are developers like Eugenia, who lost a real-life friend named Roman and created a bot from his memory. As it turns out, there’s a long history of people like Eugenia — people who create technology to help us grieve, love, and grow. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and pr...
Feb 22, 2023•25 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Living in a new town and following a series of difficult personal experiences, Julie finds a new friend…by creating one using an AI-driven app. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by Terence Bernardo and Rebecca Seidel. Bei Wang and Katrina Carter are the associate producers. Cover art by Diego Patiño. Theme song by Maria Linares. Transc...
Feb 15, 2023•25 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Coming up next on Radiotopia Presents: Bot Love The AI chatbot universe is deeper and bigger than the general public knows. Millions of users worldwide are creating deep emotional bonds, sometimes sexual and sometimes not, with their own AI-driven virtual humans. We meet Julie in Tennessee, Suzy in Atlanta and Kelly in the Midwest, people that are fighting depression, finding their true sexuality, and learning how to live, hand in hand, with the AI-driven humans they themselves created. Learn mo...
Feb 01, 2023•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ong’s Hat is rumored to have once been the site of a gateway to another dimension. After meeting on a forum devoted to the urban legend, yoga instructor Sarah Larsen, and academic Charlie Brill, go on a road trip to the New Jersey Pine Barrens where a group of renegade Princeton professors had once conducted quantum physics and chaos theory experiments to discover a new theory for dimensional travel. When Sarah disappears, Charlie finds himself at the center of a mystery. Corey Brill (The Walkin...
Jan 20, 2023•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast We were delighted to premiere Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me at the 2022 Tribeca Festiva l. And today we’re sharing a recording of that premiere — a discussion with creator Jason Reynolds and audio trailblazer Jad Abumrad . Recorded live on June 18, 2022 at SVA Theatre in New York City. Special thanks to Davy Gardner, Julie Shapiro, David Cotrone, Candace McManus, and Elena Giovinazzo for making this event possible. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents, and is written...
Sep 28, 2022•48 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we share an episode from our friends at Snap Judgment — Rooty the Pig. Rooty, a piglet, leaves her Victorian dollhouse on the farm and heads to the city of New Orleans to find a family. But when Hurricane Katrina hits, everything that is near and dear to her is threatened. BIG thanks to Jim & Connie for sharing their story with us! Thanks as well to Jeffery Tam & Dr. Alison Barca. Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Cheflee Artwork by Teo Ducot Learn about your ad choices:...
Aug 10, 2022•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast To wrap the series, my mother and I chat about humility, while hanging at one of our favorite places — the casino. We gamble, feast on a lunch of crab cakes, and dive into how she’s always wanted me to keep my feet on the ground, even after hitting the jackpot. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents , and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds with his mother, Isabell Reynolds. The series is produced by Mark Pagán and edited by Julie Shapiro, with production support from Yoo...
Aug 03, 2022•27 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Mom and I talk candidly about how she taught me to believe in a Higher Power, even though I didn’t like church so much. We get into her many spiritual practices, stroll around Costco (where all miracles happen) and I visit my older brother Allen, for a long overdue catch-up. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents , and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds, with his mother, Isabell Reynolds. The series is produced by Mark Pagán and edited by Julie Shapiro, with production s...
Jul 27, 2022•32 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Happy 76th Birthday, Ma! In this episode, we celebrate her birthday with lunch at her favorite restaurant, where we talk about life, death, and how gratitude for each day doesn’t always mean we should skip the special ones, like birthdays — no matter how badly I want to skip my own. Every time. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents , and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds, with his mother, Isabell Reynolds. The series is produced by Mark Pagán and edited by Julie Shapir...
Jul 20, 2022•31 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Hey, I’m Jason. But more importantly, meet my mother, Isabell. I’m not in the best mood for this introduction, because she raised me to be ambitious and selfless, which means she’s also raised me to be… overwhelmed. With life. But not to worry, my mother also knows exactly what to say to pull me out of a rut, which she does every Sunday, when I roll up to her house for our weekly visit. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents , and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds with ...
Jul 13, 2022•30 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 
